Surgical glove case



Y Oct. 22, 1957 E. G. YERK suRGcAL GLOVE cA'sE' YFiled Aug. s, 1955 mzPM( United States Patent SURGICAL GLOVE CASE Ellen G. Yerk, Bronxville,N. Y.

Application August 8, 1955, Serial No. 526,978

2 Claims. (Cl. 150-.5)

This invention relates to a fabric container and more particularly to asurgical glove case.

It `is usual hospital practice to lay out sterilized surgical gloveswhere they may be readily and conveniently accessible -for use. In orderto assure maintenance of sterile conditions, the gloves may be placed infabric containers or cases which are sterilized with the gloves. Thecases containing the gloves are then laid out. When a glove is ready foruse, it is manually removed from its case as carefully as possible toassure that it does not become contaminated by contact with unsterilizedsurfaces.

I have provided a surgical glove case in which a pair of gloves can bestored together in such a way that either or both gloves of the pair maybe conveniently removed with no danger of contamination. If only oneglove is used, the -remaining glove remains sterile for use at a latertime. Whether one r both gloves are removed, my surgical glove case isso constructed and arranged as to assure the greatest safety, since theportions of the case which are grasped to be raised to finally exposegloves -for removal are themselves maintained sterile, the liftingportion associated with each glove being maintained sterileindependently of removal of the mating glove.

Accordingly, the invention makes it possible to lay out gloves in pairs,members of the pairs being usable together or independently andcontamination being avoided in all cases. Accordingly, the inventionsimplies the handling of surgical gloves. It is particularly helpfulwhen sizeable numbers of -gloves are sterilized and laid out togetherwith a resulting possibility of confusion between left and right handedgloves.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention are attainedthrough the provision of overlying webs of substantially equal width butdifferent length, the two webs being joined together at their edges andacross a transverse seam central to both webs. A lift tab means whichmay comprise a seam running longitudinally of the short web is alsoprovided, the lift tab means and open edges of the resulting case beingcovered when the excess length of the long web at each end thereof isfolded over the short web.

The objects and advantages of the invention may be more fully broughtout by the following description of the presently preferred specificembodiment of the invention, which, by way of example, is described indetail below and in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the embodiment which -isbeing described -by way of example, and Figures 2 and 3 are perspectiveviews illustrating the use of the surgical glove case shown in Figure 1.

The glove case is made from any relatively close-mesh fabric orequivalent web material which will stand up under continued and frequentsubjection to steam and moisture. The illustrated case comprises a longweb which is preferably provided with a hem 11 around all four edges,the hem 11 comprising part of a seam overlying web 13 may be abouthalfthe length of theV long web 10 and is preferably positioned intermediatethe ends of the long web. The wide ends of the overlying web 13 may befinished by providing hems 14.

The web 13 is stitched to the web 10 not only along the seams 12 butalso `along a transverse seam or seams 15, thus dividing the compartmentor envelope interior defined between the webs 10 and 13 into twosections, generally indicated at 16 and 17. The web 13 is centrallylongitudinally seamed to define a tuck or tab strip 18. The outer fold19 of the tab strip 18 is on the side of the web 13 which is opposite tothat portion of the web 10 to which the web 13 is joined. The strip 18may normally lie rather flat, as indicated in Figure 2, but it may begrasped and slightly raised to act as a tab, as indicated at 20 inFigure 3.

In use, surgical gloves are inserted into the compartment sections 16and 17, as shown in Figure 2. The two end flap portions 21 and 22 formedby the extensions of the long web 10 are then folded over the short web13, and the case is placed in the sterilizer, usually along with anumber of similarly filled glove cases. After sterilization, the glovecase is laid out without unfolding the flaps 21 and 22. If one glove isto be used, the associated flap 21 or 22 is flipped open, exposing thetheretofore protected associated portion of the tab strip 18. The tab-strip can then be grasped to raise the associated portion of the web13, as indicated in Figure 3, and make the glove readily accessible. Itwill be noted that the other glove of the pair is in nowise disturbedduring this procedure. Such remaining glove can then be similarlyremoved or left in fully protected sterilized condition for use at alater time.

It will be apparent that lthe glove case described above by way ofexample can be varied in details without departing from the teaching ofmy disclosure. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the precisedetails of the Iillustrated example, but is defined lby the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. A surgical glove case comprising two overlying web sections ofapproximately equal width, one of said sections Ibeing substantiallyshorter than the other section and positioned midway along the length ofsaid other section, whereby the extensions of said other section beyondsaid one section constitute end flaps, said web sections beingpermanently joined at the common edges established by theirapproximately even width, said sections further being joined along aline extending across said sections at the longitudinal midpoint thereofto define two compartments between said web sections separated alongsaid line Iand opened along their end sides, laterally centrally locatedgripping means associated with each of said two compartments forgripping said one web section adjacent each of said open end sides, eachof said end flaps being of sufficient size to cover at least themajority of one of Isaid gripping means when said end flaps are foldedover said one web section.

2. A surgical glove case comp-rising two overlying web sections ofapproximately equal width, one of said sections being substantiallyshorter than the other section and positioned midway Ialong the lengthof said otherV section, whereby the extensions of said other sectionbeyond said one section constitute end iiaps, Isaid web sections beingjoined at the common edges established by their Iapproximately evenwidth, said sections further being joined along a line extending acrosssaid sections at the longitudinal midpoint thereof to define twocompartments between said web sections separated along 3 said line andopen along their end sides, which end sides are covered when said endflaps are folded over said one web section, `a laterally central,longitudinally extending tuk folded ,outwardly 4from said one -websection,

said end aps `being of suicient size to cover at least the 5 majorityAof said tuck when said end aps are folded over said one web section.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 814,205Hawes Mar. 6, 1906 Graham June 9,

Randall May 27,

Martin Ian. 31,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Bn'tain Feb. 28,

France July 6,

